Valve for lubricant cooling systems



Oct. 8, 1940. D. R. McNEAL I VALVE FOR LUBRiCANT COOLING SYSTEMS 2 Shegts-Shet 1 ,.Filed April 15, 1939 IIIIIllIIIl/II INVENTOR W E W O T T A Cd. 8, 1940. D. R. McNEAL I 2,217,491 I VALVE FOR LUBRICANT COOLING SYSTEMS Filed April 15, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 8, 1940 VALVE FOR LUBBICAN T COOLING SYSTEMS Daniel Raymond McNeal, Abington, Pa., assignor to Andale Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application Apr 15, 1939, Serial No. 268,003 10 Claims. (or 1s4 c) This invention relates to equipment for cooling lubricating oil and a valve means therefor.

For many purposes, such, for instance, as lubrlcation of the bearings of a turbine, it is desirable to use a lubricating oil circulation system in which means are provided for cooling the lu-.' bricant before it is re-circulated to the bearings. Sincejturbines and other 'mechanisms of this type are quite commonly required to maintain uninterrupted operation over long periods of time, the oil cooling system preferably incorporates two heat exchange or cooling units which may alternatively be placed in the circulation system. Preferably, a"valve means is employed for changeover fromone unit to the other.

A system of this general type is disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 190,971, filed February 17, 1938. As shown in said application, the installation of the cooling units and the associated changeover valve may be of two different types. In both of said types of installation, a supply or reservoir .of lubricating oil is employed, and'in one type the cooling units and) the valve are at least in large part submerged below the level of the oil in the reservoir. Vari ous features of the present invention are applicable to both types of installatiom-although cer-- tain features of the invention are of especial use in connection with the type of installation in which at least the valve mechanism is submerged in the reservoir of oil.

Referring to the objects of the invention, it may be noted that the features of the valve mechanism claimed herein are not limited in their application to a system for lubrication of turbine bearings nor even to lubricating, equipment. However, the invention is described as applied to a lubricationsystem for the bearings of a turbine for two principal reasons-first, since this particular type of lubrication system is probably the one in which the novel features of the valve would most commonly be used, and

second, since certain aspects of the invention are of especial utility in association with a lubricationsystem.

Bearing in mind that the circulation system receives its supply of oil from the reservoir and then delivers the oil throu h the valvemechanism alternatively to either one of the coolers, and from there to the turbine bearings and finally back to the reservoir, it will at once be apparent that in the event there is any leakage in the valve from the active side to the side which is closed off,-that leakage will result either in arise in the oil level or an increase in pressure in the cooler which is out of service, depending on 1 whether the cooler is open (as through a vent) or is completely sealed closed. Both of these 1 conditions are undesirable, since, on the onehand, if the cooler is open leakage around the valve will cause the oil to overflow, while on the other hand, if; the cooler is closed a dangerous pressure condition may result. condition, such coolers have even been known to rupture as a result of a temperature increase,

causing the oil to expand.

The foregoing are diillculties which havebeen encountered with certain prior installations, and

In the latter the invention provides for automaticopening of a discharge port from the cooler which is out of service by virtue of positioning of the valve to direct the circulation through the other cooler. In this way overflow of oil or pressure build-up, as a result of leakage through the valve, is prevented.

How the foregoing and other objects and ad vantages are attained will be apparent from the following description referring to the accompany-'- ing drawings, in which- Figure 1 isa somewhat diagrammatic vertical sectional view through an oil reservoir in which are submerged a pair of cooling units, together with an associated controlling valve mechanism, in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the valve mechanism illustrated in Figure 1, this view being taken as indicated by the section line 2-4 on Figure 3; v

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken at right angles to the section. of Figure 2, as indicated by the section line 33 on Figure 2;

Figures 4 and 4a are horizontal sectional views through portions of the valve mechanism taken looking downwardly at the lines d-d and lit-4a in Figure 2; and

Figure 4b is a horizontal sectional view through tion line tb-4b on Figure 2.

The reservoir is shown in Figure 1 at 5, the oil level therein appearing at :c. The two cooler units 6 and l are in large part submerged in the oil in-thereservoir, but project upwardly above the upperwall 8 of the reservoir. The valve mechanism is generallyindicated by the letter V in Figure 1, and is shown as being provided with four branches 9, l0, II and I2. The branches 9 and late, respectively, connected with the inlet and outlet pipes l3 and H of the 4o the valve taken looking upwardly from the secunit 8, the branches ii and i2 being coupled with the inlet and outlet pipes l5 and I8 for the unit I. The valve has an outlet connection II which is adapted to be coupled with a pipe extended to the bearings of the turbine or other device being lubricated. The valve also has an inlet in direct communication with the oil in the reservoir located in the corresponding position at the opposite side of the valve.

The heat exchange units 6 and I are eachprovided with a vent adjacent the uppermost part of the oil side thereof, the vents appearing at Go.

and 1a. In addition, each unit is provided with a normally plugged drain 617 or 1b adjacent the bottom of the oil side. A

A cooling medium may be circulated through the units by means of connections, one of a pair for each unit being shown at 60 and 10.

At this point it may be notedthat a valve mechanism of the general type shown in Figure 1, i. e., a changeover or duplex valve, is illustrated in my prior copending application Serial No. 87,408, filed June 26, 1936, and also in my copending application hereinabove referred to.

The valve mechanism is shown more in detail in Figures 2 and 3, and includes a casing l9 from which the branches or connections l3 to [8 extend, and a valve body in the casing in general made up of the horizontal superimposed and spaced disk partitions 29, 2| and 22, with intervening vertical partitions 23 (between disks 20 and 2i) and 24 and 25 (between disks 2| and 22).

The arrangement of the upright partitions 23,

24 and 25 clearly appears from inspection of Figures 4 and 4a. The several partitions of the valve body and the chambers and connections of the casing are all so disposed that the main inlet l8 may be placed in communication either with the inlet connection l3 for one of the coolers or with the inlet connection 15 for the other cooler, and also so that the main outlet connection l1 may be placed in communication either with the outlet connection M for the first cooler or with the outlet connection It for the other. The relationship of these connections clearly appears in Figures 4 and 4a, the position therein shown being that in which the cooler 6 is in service and the cooler I out of service.

The foregoing valve arrangements just described are essentially similar to those disclosed in my prior application Serial No. 190,971, which said prior application also discloses by-pass ports 26 and 21 formed through the central disk 2| of the valve, the function of these ports being to provide intercommunication' between the inlet and outlet sides of that cooler which is shut off by the valve, thereby facilitating venting of the entire system, including the cooler, through vent 8a or 1a. These vents communicate .with the top of the oil side of the coolers and each is provided with a shut off valve which may be closed during operation of the respective coolers. As shown, the vents preferably'discharge into the reservoir space.

The action of the valvefurther provides for gradual changeover from one cooler to the other, so that the changeover is effected while maintaining a substantially constant and uniform supply of oil to the turbine bearings.

As shown in Figure 4b, in accordance with the present invention, the uppermost disk 22 of the valve body is also provided with ports "and 29 establishing communication between certain of the valve chambers and the reservoir. The manner of communication with the reservoir will be apparent from inspection of Figure 2, in which it will be seen that the ports 28 and 29 open at their upper ends into an annularspace 30 which is in communication with the interior of the tube 3| through the annular passage 32. The tube 3| is apertured as at 33 (see also Figure 1) at a level below the level a: of the oil in the reservoir.

As seen in Figure 4b, when the valve is positioned to place the cooler 8 into circulation and shut off the cooler 1, the port 28 is so located in the disk 22 that it is blanked oil by the valve casing IS, the port 29, however, being in a location such that it establishes communication between the inlet passage for the cooler I, thereby providing intercommunication between cooler I and the reservoir. Conversely, when the valve is positioned to place the unit 1 into circulation and to shut oil the unit 6, the port 29 becomes blanked and the port 28 places the inlet connection l3 for the unit} into communication with the reservoir.

Because of the foregoing, in the event of leakage past the valve from the active side thereof to the side which is not in service, the oil leakage will return to the reservoir. In fact, the intercommunication between the reservoir and the cooler out of service will cause the oil levels in that cooler and the reservoir to equalize through the associated drain port 28 or 29. The operation will be in accordance with the foregoing, provided the valve is located below the level of the oil in the reservoir although, regardless of the relationship between the oil level in the reservoir and the valve, the drain ports 28 and 29 will still function to prevent build-up of pressure in or overflow of oil from the cooler which is out of service, either when the same is open for inspection or through the vent passage provided toward the top of the oil space thereof.

The position of the valve may be adjusted through its stem 34 which is coupled with the operating rod 35 extended upwardly and out of the reservoir for actuation by means of the hand wheel 36, in the manner fully set out in my copending application Serial No. 234,880, filed October 14, 1938.

While the drain ports 28 and 29 may be coupled or piped for discharge at any desired point (as, for instance, to an oil supply tank in an installation in which the coolers and valve' are not submerged in the reservoir), the drain ports are most conveniently used in association with the submerged type of installation herein illustrated, since the ports may then provide direct intercommunication between the reservoir and that particular cooler which is idle at any given time.

Although the drain ports may alternatively be located in other portions of the valve or may even be associated with the'connected piping of the circulation system, the particular form of drain port illustrated is perhaps the simplest.

I-claim:

1. Equipment for cooling lubricating oil'including in combination with a'source of supply of oil, a pair of heat exchange units for cooling the oil, an oil circulation system including valve means having a main inlet receiving oil from said source. and a main outlet for delivery of cooled oil to a point of use, the valve means providing for flow Y said units when the valve means is, positioned to a pair of heat exchange units for cooling the oil, an oil circulation system including valve means having a main inlet receiving oil from said source' 'said outlet, andportage associated with the valve means and providing communication between one 01' said units and said source when the valve means is positioned to shut oil flow through that unit. v v 1 3. Equipment for cooling lubricating oil including in combination with a source of supply of oil,

- a pair of heat exchange units for cooling the 011, an oil circulation system including valve means having a main inlet receiving 011 from said source and a main outlet for delivery of cooled oil to a point of use, the valve means providing for flow of oil serially from said inlet alternatively through either one of said units and thence to said outlet, and means associated with-the valve means and providing for discharge of oil from one of said units when the valve means is off flow through that unit.

4. Equipment for cooling lubricating oil including in combination with an oil reservoir, a pair of heat exchange units for cooling the oil, an oil circulation system including valve means at least in part submerged in the oil' in said reservoir and having a main inlet receiving oil from said source and a main outlet for delivery of cooled oil to a point of use, the valve means providing for flow oi oil serially from said inlet alternatively through either one of said units and thence to said outlet, and the valve means having portage providing connnunication between one of said units and the reservoir when the valve means is positioned to shut off flow through that unit.

5. Equipment for cooling lubricating oil including in combination with a source of supply of oil, a pair of heat exchange units for cooling the oil, each of which has a vent at a high point in the oil side thereof, an oil circulation system including valve means having a main. inlet receiving oil from said source and a main outlet for delivery of cooled oil to a point of use, the valve means providing for flow of oil serially from said inlet alternatively through either one of said units and thence to said outlet, and means associated with the circulation system providing communication between one of said units and said source when the valve means is positioned to shut off flow through that unit, whereby in the event of leakage ofoil in the valve means from the side which is in circulation to that side which .is shut ofl, theleakage will return to said source and thereby avoid overflow of oil from the vent for the unit which is shut off.

6. Equipment for cooling lubricating oil including in combination with a source of supply of oil, a pair of heat exchange units for cooling the oil, each having a vent adjacent the top of the oil side thereof,- an oil circulation system including valve means having a main inlet receiving oil from said source and a mainoutlet for delivery of cooled oil to a point of use, the valve means providing for flow of oil serially from said inlet alternatively through either one of said units and thence to said outlet, the valve means being lo-- 0 cated vertically at alevel below the level of said vents, by-pass portage interconnecting the inlet and outlet for one of said units when'the valve means is positioned to shut off flow through that unit, and means associated with the valve means and providing for discharge of oil from one of positioned to shut shut ofi flow through that'unit.

7. Equipment for cooling lubricating oil includ ing in combination with an oil reservoir, a pair 01' heat exchange units for cooling theoil, each having a vent adjacent the topo! the oil side thereof, an oil circulation system'including valve means having a main inlet receiving oil from said reservoir and a main outlet for delivery of cooled oil to a point of use, the valve means being at least in part submerged in the oil in said reservoir and providing for flow of oil serially from said inlet. alternatively through either one or said units and thence to saidoutlet, said vents being located vertically at a level above the valve means,

by-pass portage interconnecting the inlet-and outlet for one of said units when the valve means is positioned to shut off flow through that unit,

and means associated with the circulation system providing communication between one of said units and the reservoir whenthe valve'means is positioned to shut off flow through that unit.

8. Equipment for cooling lubricating oil includoil to a point of use, 'the valve means being at,

least in part submerged in the oil in said reservoir and providing for flow of oil serially from said inlet alternatively through either one of said units and thence to said outlet, said vents being located vertically at a level above the valve means, bypass portage interconnecting the inlet and outlet for one of said units when the valve means is positioned to shut off flow through that unit, and means associated with the circulation system providing communication between one of said units and the reservoir when the valve means is positioned to shut ofi flow through that unit, said means comprising a port formed in the valve providing direct intercommunication between the reservoir and the unit WhiCh'lS shut off.

9. Equipment for cooling lubricating oil including in combination with an oil reservoir, a pair- 'of heat exchange units for cooling the oil, an oil circulation system including valve means comprising a casing and, a valve body and having a main inlet receiving oil from said source and a main outlet for delivery of cooled oil to a point of use, the valve means being at least in part sub- 7 merged in the oil in said reservoir and prowiding for flow of-oil serially from said inlet alternatively through either one of said units and thence to said outlet, and means associated. withthe valve means and providing for discharge of oil from one of said units when the valve-means is positioned to shut oil flow through that unit, said last means comprising portage formed in the each having a ventv adjacent the top of the oil sidethereof, an oil circulation system including valve means having a main inlet receiving oil from said reservoir and amain outlet for deliv-' ery of cooled oil to a point of use, the valve means being at least in part submerged in the oil in said reservoir. and providing for flow of oil serially from said. inlet alternatively through either one 15 of said units and thence to, said outlet, the valve with the valve means and providing for direct means being located vertically at a. level below discharge 01' oil from one of said units to said the level of said vents, by-pass portage interconreservoir when the valve means is positioned to necting the inlet and outlet for one of said units shut ofl flow through that unit.

when the valve means is positioned to shut off DANIEL RAYMOND McNEAL. 5 flow through that unit, and means associated 

